Spice It Up 2018

Rene embarks on her thesis project

Rene, a Ryerson University film student, begins her thesis project, Spice It Up, hoping to connect with something larger than her own isolation. She pours energy into the meta-film about seven teen girls who join the Canadian Armed Forces, seeking meaning in the process. The project becomes both escape and anchor as she navigates school life.

The thesis film intercuts with Rene's filmmaking process

The movie intercuts scenes from Spice It Up with Rene's struggle to lock picture and complete the project. These intercuts reveal how the fiction reflects her own state of mind and the difficulties of shaping a coherent narrative. The hybrid structure underscores the film's tonal challenges.

Rene defends her work in a string of offices

Rene travels from office to office, presenting her film and enduring condescending notes from professors and peers. Each encounter pressures the project from different angles, testing her resolve. The defenses reveal the widening gap between her vision and institutional expectations.

First professor urges paring down the cast

One professor tells Rene to pare down the large cast and focus on a single character. She contemplates this advice as a possible path to clarity, weighing the loss of ensemble energy against narrative coherence. The suggestion triggers reflections on what the audience needs to feel the film's core.

Second professor proposes web-series format

Another professor suggests transforming the feature-length film into a web series to manage scale and pacing. Rene weighs how episodic structure could reshape character arcs and tonal balance. The ideal of flexibility clashes with the desire for a complete cinematic statement.

Third professor asks for philosophical grounding

The third professor proposes matching characters to philosophical doctrines to give the film thematic cohesion. Rene considers whether such a framework could unify disparate scenes and moods. The idea intensifies the search for a unifying lens for Spice It Up.

Rene decides to reunite the cast for new scenes

After soul-searching and many failed attempts, Rene resolves to reunite the cast and film new scenes that might fill in gaps. She hopes fresh material will provide momentum and a more coherent arc. The plan marks a turning point from editing debates to practical production work.

Rene attempts to gather the seven actresses

Rene reaches out to each cast member, trying to gather the group for filming. However, scheduling conflicts and reluctance complicate the effort, underscoring the fragility of collaboration. The search becomes a microcosm of the project’s broader instability.

Shoot day arrives with only one actress

On the day of the shoot, only one actress returns. She informs Rene that the entire cast has quit the project, leaving her with a ghost crew and a shrinking window for new footage. The moment crystallizes the film’s vulnerability and the limits of Rene's control.

Actress records the exit while Rene documents it

Rene films the actress's exit, capturing the tension and resignation of the moment. The footage becomes a stark, real reflection of abandonment and lost collaboration. This scene may become a crucial scrap to salvage the troubled project.

Rene searches for any salvageable footage

With the cast gone, Rene scours for any scrap footage that could be repurposed. She holds onto whatever material remains as a potential salvaging thread for Spice It Up. The act embodies perseverance under professional and creative pressure.